Asics Gel Nimbus 24 vs 23 Comparison Running Shoe Review
The main difference between the Asics Gel Nimbus 24 running shoes and the Asics Gel Nimbus 23 is that the Asics Gel Nimbus 24 boasts the new FlyteFoam Blast Plus technology while the Asics Gel Nimbus 23 features the tried and true, firmer traditional FlyteFoam.
In this running shoe review Josh highlights why the hype over Asics FlyteFoam Blast Plus is justified and identifies how this lightweight cushioning technology has created the softest Nimbus ever to fly off the shelves. Compared to the Asics Gel Nimbus Lite 3 it offers a more durable platform for heel strikers - allowing you to run your way without the running shoe degrading earlier than expected.
The Asics Gel Nimbus 24 offers an effortless ride straight out of the box and is a game-changer for neutral foot types - whether worn as part of your everyday rotation or as your one and only, go-to running shoe to clock up high mileage.
Check out the review with full transcript below.
Hey guys, Josh here from Sportitude Running. It's shoe review time and we're going to be talking all things Asics Gel Nimbus 24. The Asics Gel Nimbus 24 has FlyteFoam Blast Plus technology - that means is they have engineered the softest Nimbus to date, providing a really effortless run underneath the body.
We have Gel cushioning underneath the heel and Twist Gel through the forefoot but the magic is that it's encapsulated in that FlyteFoam Blast Plus technology.
The upper is an engineered mesh through the forefoot and as you come back we have a knitted tongue which is new to Asics. It is a gusseted construction so you get a really supportive feel on top of the foot.
It’s a high mileage neutral shoe designed for the runners out there that want to be out in the road for plenty of miles. It's going to last quite a long time with plenty of cushioning protection.
In today's review we're going to go over the upper, outsole, midsole and give you all the information that you need at home to potentially make this your next daily trainer. Without further ado let's get stuck in.
Runner Profile
Before we dive into the review on the Asics Gel Nimbus 24 let's discuss what foot type should be considering this shoe. I have thrown out the ‘neutral’ word a couple of times in the intro. Neutral refers to a foot type that has a higher arch, with a little bit of space between the arch and the ground.
When this runner comes through their gait cycle whether heel or midfoot striking, the majority of the pressure will be through the central part of the foot or towards that lateral side, so that runner that supinates as they come through their transition to get the foot ready to engage and toe-off.
However, I'd like to point out the fact that there are some neutral runners that will have an arch that’s closer to the ground on a flat surface. However, when this runner comes through their transition there won't be as much bias towards that lateral side, most the pressure will be through the central part of the foot.
If a runner has a slight tendency to overpronate, I still feel the Asics Gel Nimbus 24 will be OK. I can run in neutral shoes, being a mild overpronator and I don't find the Asics Gel Nimbus 24 to be anything but comfortable and supportive.
OK, the fun stuff starts here. Let's talk about the Asics Gel Nimbus 24, compare it to the Asics Gel Nimbus 23 and give you all the information that you need at home.
Upper
I'd like to start off with the upper with this shoe first because there's considerable change with what Asics have done to improve the fit and comfort of the Asics Gel Nimbus 24.
Starting off with the back of the shoe, there's a lot of similarities between the heel counter and the collar from the Asics Gel Nimbus 23 to the Asics Gel Nimbus 24. We still have an internal heel counter construction, a really nice amount of memory foam inside that heel collar and it does have a slight tendency to lean in towards that Achilles.
It doesn't have that Achilles flare which is a popular engineering concept from a lot of running shoes, but this shoe does not need it because Asics have the construction of that internal heel counter right with the exact amount of memory foam on the inside. It’s a really good construction and is very comfortable in the back half.
Probably the biggest and my favourite piece of the upper is the new tongue. It is a new knitted construction that’s insanely thin, therefore you're getting more ventilation on your longer runs. The gusseted system sits on that medial side and the lateral side so you get a comfortable and supportive fit regarding the tongue.
Coming through to the forefoot engineered mesh, there’s plenty of breathability on offer and the contrast between the heel counter, the tongue gusseted system and the forefoot works really well.
One thing to point out in comparison to the Asics Gel Nimbus 23 from last year is it does fit a little bit narrower and marginally shallower through the front half. They've been able to achieve that with a new tongue and a little bit of a change with the engineering with the upper.
I don't think it's going to be a problem. If you happen to be a D width previously in your Asics Gel Nimbus 23, you're still going to be a D width in the Asics Gel Nimbus 24.
Another great thing about this shoe is it's available in widths. It comes in a B and a D width in the women’s model and a D, 2E and 4E in the men's model. When brands make their premium shoes whether they're neutral or supportive, having available widths makes life a lot easier for shoe fitters like our team at Sportitude Running which is a great thing.
Outsole
Diving down to the outsole which is the part of the shoe that protects the asset, the midsole, from all the elements being bitumen or pavement surfaces.
Looking at the outsole, there's not a lot that's changed in the Asics Gel Nimbus 24 from the Asics Gel Nimbus 23 so it's still the same configuration regarding the amount of flex grooves on offer through the forefoot, and the same configuration regarding the positioning of that outsole in the back half underneath your heel for heel strikers.
There’s couple of tech pieces to note including the AHAR. This is the Asics High Abrasion Resistant Rubber system which is going to wear a little bit nicer to the back half of the shoe for those heel strikers, remembering heel strikers hit the ground marginally harder than your midfoot and forefoot runners. It's important for them to have a slightly harder wearing rubber in that entry point for your heel striker.
Probably the biggest change with regards to the outsole has been the removal of the medial Trusstic device on the Asics Gel Nimbus 23. We don't see it in the outsole configuration of the Asics Gel Nimbus 24, but they have integrated a torsional stability system through the midsole which we'll touch on in a second.
There’s a little bit more exposed foam underneath the foot. That's the FlyteFoam Blast Plus technology. It’s a really soft compound so it’ll be interesting to see how this wears over time but I think it's going to be fine.
The other thing to point out with the flex grooves is the Asics Gel Nimbus 23 had slightly deeper decoupling lines on that horizontal plane in comparison to the Asics Gel Nimbus 24.
We think that's the case because last year's model was a slightly firmer midsole yet still very cushioned. This year they've made the midsole softer so therefore they couldn't cut it too deep in those decoupled horizontal lines.
The shoe would have been way too flexible and you would have lost a fair bit of support. We're only talking about a millimetre maximum here, but it does make a big difference not only in the performance but the longevity of your midsole.
Midsole
Let's talk all things midsole in the Asics Gel Nimbus 24. I really like this shoe. I said it in the intro, this is by far the easiest Asics Gel Nimbus I've ever run in straight out of the box. The main reason being is that the magic is in the cushioning of this shoe.
As we've said a couple of times we have FlyteFoam Blast Plus technology. What that means for you at home is that this foam underneath the foot which is protecting you from the ground is a softer compound. It runs really nicely and it's very consistent from your entry to your release point.
This is a good thing because technically speaking when we're looking at Nimbus gone by there is a lot going on with their midsoles. There's Gel pods both in the heel and forefoot. There used to be a really detailed torsional stability on offer.
Sometimes we found the Asics Gel Nimbus 23 to be a little bit stiff for some runners, however the Asics Gel Nimbus 24 has been the most consistent Nimbus straight out of the box that I have ever run in and I am proud to say I've really enjoyed this shoe.
For a couple of statistics on your Asics Gel Nimbus 24 in comparison to your Asics Gel Nimbus 23, the heel-to-toe drop is exactly the same. It is a 10mm heel-to-toe variance, however they have jacked up the stack by 1mm. There’s 26mm in the heel regarding the men's model and a 16mm forefoot for a variance of 10mm.
Last year it was a 25mm heel and 15mm forefoot with regards to the Asics Gel Nimbus 23. It was still at a 10mm offset, but with the Asics Gel Nimbus 24 there's a little bit more shoe underneath the foot.
The women’s model is a bit different though. Some brands out there engineer their midsoles to perform ever so slightly different from the men's model to the women's model. The women’s model in the Asics Gel Nimbus 24 is 28mm in the heel to 15mm in the forefoot for a variance of 13mm. Last year it was a 27mm heel and a 14mm forefoot in the Asics Gel Nimbus 24, again with a 13mm offset.
It's important to know those statistics because Asics do this with a lot of their geometry positioning, their 3D technology underneath the midsole, to aid predominantly how women strike the ground in comparison to men. There’s been a lot of research and Asics are a research brand, so when they engineer a shoe it is based on serious objective data. Nothing has changed with the Asics Gel Nimbus 24.
To go over the statistics now, let's get stuck into the juice of this shoe. As we touched on, we do have the Gel cushioning at the heel that has been strategically placed. Heel strikers get a little bit more cushioning and underneath your first metatarsal there is a Twist Gel around the size of a 10 cent piece here in Australia. That sits underneath your first metatarsal to provide a little bit of extra support through that forefoot for that big toe to engage and get ready to toe-off.
The other great factor of this shoe is the white foam which is that FlyteFoam Blast Plus. It’s really soft cushioning underneath the foot. However, the light blue foam doesn't have any statistics written on it, however we feel this might just be a traditional FlyteFoam technology. It’s a slightly firmer foam than what we have in the white Asics FlyteFoam Blast Plus. You need that contrast, you need a bit of extra stability when you're putting it on top of a soft foam.
What I did speak about a minute ago regarding the outsole is the Trusstic system. While Asics have used Trusstic systems in the outsole like the Asics Gel Nimbus 23, we have seen it introduced into the midsole in the Asics Gel Nimbus 24 so it's off the ground.
This little plastic construction sits on the same medial side of the shoe to provide a little extra torsional stability for that runner coming through midstance. The great thing about it is it's tucked away from the outsole, so it will provide a slightly more consistent roll through midstance to toe-off which I think is a really good thing.
Weight
Let's talk about the weights. We have a big change regarding what's on offer. We have 292g grams for a men's size 9 and 252 grams for a women’s size 7, in comparison to last year’s Asics Gel Nimbus 23 with 310 grams in the men's size 9 and 260 grams in the women’s size 7.
It’s a big change and it's noticeable. Sometimes weight variances are hard to pick up on the foot, even for 10 to 15 grams. However, when stepping into to the Asics Gel Nimbus 24 in comparison to the Asics Gel Nimbus 23, it’s a softer, lighter and smoother ride underneath the body.
The Wrap Up
In 2022 this running shoe is going to change how we think and perceive Nimbuses to perform on the road. It is nothing like a Nimbus gone by for me personally. I still think this is going to be a great shoe for the Nimbus lovers out there that have used it for a bit of walking, some gym and daily athleisure. This is still going to perform absolutely fine for you in that regard.
However, for the runners that have been searching for something lighter and softer, the Asics Gel Nimbus 24 is going to play right in to your needs and requirements.
The Asics Gel Nimbus 23 was such an honest shoe last year and it was a great performer. However, the feedback was that it was still a little bit too heavy and dense. That's a big thing because I still think the Asics Gel Nimbus 23 is a smooth shoe.
I liked what the Asics Gel Nimbus 23 was doing but the Asics Gel Nimbus 24 was a big change while keeping those real consistent Asics vibes, being that it's a stable neutral shoe and it needs to be honest and it needs to be reliable. It's still all of that, it's just in a lighter and softer package.
If you've been using the Nike Vomero 16, Brooks Glycerin 19 or even the Saucony Triumph 19, and this is certainly lighter than the Triumph, those three shoes from your competitors are pretty similar to what you find with your Asics Gel Nimbus 24.
I have said this downstairs on the shop floor and I said in one of my previous videos that my first step in with Asics Nimbus Lite version one was love at first sight. I love that shoe from the get-go and I have a similar feel with the Asics Gel Nimbus 24. I love what it does for me regarding the weight and the cushioning.
It's going to be a great shoe, it's going to be consistent and I’m looking forward to putting some more clicks in the Asics Gel Nimbus 24, that's for sure.
If you have any questions with this shoe, please contact our Sportitude shoe experts and subscribe to the Sportitude YouTube channel for the latest and greatest on new running shoes.
If you've been a Nimbus lover previously let us know your favourite model. We'd love to hear from the running community out there.
Until next time stay safe, be kind to one another, happy running and we shall see you on the road. Take care.
FEATURES
Asics Gel Nimbus 24
- Support: Neutral
- Upper: Mesh
- Midsole: Asics FlyteFoam
Men
- Heel Height: 26mm
- Forefoot Height: 16mm
- Offset / Drop: 10mm
- Weight: 292g / 10.3oz (US 9)
- Width: D (standard)
Women
- Heel Height: 28mm
- Forefoot Height: 15mm
- Offset / Drop: 13mm
- Weight: 252g / 8.9oz (US 7)
- Width: B (standard)
Asics Gel Nimbus 23
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